Tuesday, August 31

Our tree is groaning. We're using them as fast as we can and as fast as is humanly possibly. We have sold them to Food Connect Adelaide (I can now add primary producer to the CV), made oh, 10 litres of limoncello, juiced them, made lemon curd, placed bowls full at work, sent friend home with them, zest them into meals, squeezed them on pasta and roasted greens. I've even taken to drinking the juice straight each day. It makes no dent in the volume. Im getting desperate. Yesterday I managed to use 10 in an Indian lemon pickle (I love Brinjal pickle with curries so I'm hoping this will work for my tastebuds too). Solar cooked for a month, this should end up a rich and thick pasty sweet sour lemon gloop.

Wednesday, August 25

after all this time, over a year actually, my website and business (well most of it) is ready to rock n roll! I cant believe I have stuck it out, this small business thing. Being an academic all my life I never thought about venturing 'outside', over to the 'other side'. But being an ethical business has good karma attached and besides, this produce bag thing just kinda sucked me in, took me by surprise. I'd never, ever thought about selling anything before in my life. To be honest, I have no idea where the drive for this came from. I really was just 'taken over'.

When people tell you that starting a business is like a good relationship, that you have to be prepared to stick with it, shoulder the ups n downs and hang in there, well, they're right. It's been a life changing process, full of risk and frustration, fear and delight. I have learnt a lot, more than I had ever imagined, been stressed, anxious, stayed up late for many weeks, but i never once wavered in my desire to see these bags being used by many more people. So on the eve of this launch of my online store I am both excited and worried, but mostly rather proud that I bloody well did it. Followed through on an idea. One I really believe in. Subsequently, I now have a whole new appreciation for small business (but not quite the reverence that the conservatives have about them, no panic required! lol).

Now begins the hard work of getting the bags in 'real' stores. I have a few shops lined up already but I am waiting on the delivery of supplies of my fair wage gauze and net bags to begin this in earnest.

Monday, August 23

Its a sad state of play. The girls haven't heard from their Dad for over two months. They are not too devastated but its confirmatory for them. He really has no idea how to be a Dad. He no doubt, wants them to call, i have suggested they do it repeatedly. But they are adamant. From their point of view, they are the abandoned, the left behind, the discarded children. They want him to keep making an effort, to feel like despite the fact that he left them, he still loves them and wants to be in their lives. But their hope is fading. Its weird. i do not understand that distance from your own children. How can you sleep at night? Is it a male- female thing? Im not sure anymore.

Saturday, August 21

Fuck. Not ready for another round of conservative, stupid, short sighted elitists leading again. Dismantling this nation piece by piece of its public infrastructure and handing more money to the corporates and ruling classes to determine the way of our future. Nothing clever about them.
Feel sick.

Wednesday, August 11

well no, not very. We are very conscious of eating 'within means' here at Chez Pan. Boring for most people I know, but well, we just cant help it. Meatless most days, and as for fish and other seafood, well we dont see it much. Our last vestiges of 'poor choice meat' has been canned tuna. We make a pasta meal with it about once every few months, some delicious chilli, lemon, garlic, parsley concoction but despite its rarity, it still really freaks The Bloke out. I had spied some 'sustainable' canned tuna at our local organic store , but at over $10 a small can, well I wasn't about to quite cross over!.

So when Julie posted a link on facebook to the Greenpeace 'very accessible and interpretable and 'rememberable' canned tuna listing I read it with interest and promptly let my fingers do the walking and found the Australian stockists online store. At 1/3 the price of local stores, around $3.90 per can for pole caught Slipjack tuna - yes, amazing i know, it's the most sustainable canned tuna around. I bought in bulk and saved on postage...24 cans later with the addition of some amazing canned mackrel and anchovies (really, the mackrel was goood!) the pantry is looking very blue in a non-depressed kind of way. We now have a years supply of tuna for just under $100 bucks, very reasonable for what you get; no bycatch, dolphins, shark or turtle. Its not local but I'm resting much easier here at The Pan.